Common mistakes made during first tri

Right off the bat, I don't know either, but here are just a few things to remember:

• Lay out everything at home at least once before you pack it to go
• Find a way to mark your bike in the T1 (balloon, bright colored towel, etc.)
• After laying your stuff out at T1, walk towards the entrance from the water and spot where your stuff is - it'll make it easier to find later
• When getting marked with your number, make sure they put the RIGHT number on you
• Rack your bike in an easy gear, so you don't have to mash the pedals as soon as you hop on
• BUCKLE THAT HELMET BEFORE YOU UNRACK YOUR BIKE!  DNF because of a wreck/injury is one thing, DQ for not having the helmet buckled is just dumb.
• Try to ride/jog/drive the bike route and run route at least once, so you can plan your speed and slack points.
• Drink while you're on the bike.  Doesn't matter what length tri, drink while you're on the bike.
• Don't leave T2 without your race number!
• Don't shoot for your normal 5k pace right off the bike, o you may get a bad case of facial road rash when your knees buckle.  Your legs will come back to you fairly quickly.
• Most important of all - HAVE FUN!  This is the day that all that training is for!

Good luck!  We'll be looking for a race report on Sunday!

If you're not a very strong swimmer, stay to the outside and back of your wave at the start and don't start the swim trying to keep up with the pack. I did this and almost DNFd after 100 yards. Take your time at the very beginning, it's a long race.

Good luck, looking forward to your race report.

Thanks for the mental picture Joe!  I can see this one happening!  Now I know where the look on your avatar came from.

Add one more: If you haven't practiced it before race day - DO NOT TRY IT ON RACE DAY!  If you haven't tried using gels, putting socks on wet feet, changing a tube/tire, bilateral breathing, porpoising, stripping the wetsuit while running, sliding feet into clipped in shoes on the bike, whatever, DON'T!  Race day, specifically your FIRST race day is the WRONG day to experiement with something.

The transitions are where the panic sets in: if you're still moving forward (swim, bike or run) you're concentrating on that.  You hit the T1/T2, and your body is still feeling like swimming or biking, and your brain is trying to process what you'll be doing in 2 minutes.  I've seen people looking dumbfounded at the transition entry points trying to find their stuff, looking in the wrong aisles, etc.

I second the "don't put a shirt on in T1".  I did that for my 1st tri and I struggled to put it on....had to because my race number was pinned to it!  After that it was a race belt for me!!

It is a very good idea to get climatized to the water beforehand, even if it is a shore start.  Then you know if you're goggles are going to leak etc and you can fix things early on.

Be prepared for swimming  facing the rising sun and being blinded...I never thought of this and now have tinted goggles for races.

And don't assume everyone is going to be neat and tidy at transition.  During my first, I got to T1 to find my bike knocked over and my stuff scattered.  I now use a bag because it is faster than finding scattered gear.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!  Think of us suckers that have to wait until June for our season to start!

Check out the ENTIRE transition area carefully.  Find the best path from the swim to your rack location, from your rack location to the bike exit, from the bike enter to your rack location, from your rack location to the run exit.  Do not assume that the run exit is in the same direction as the bike exit -- make sure that you know ahead of time.  I volunteered to help in the transition area for a race, and LOTS of people were running in the wrong direction for T1 or T2.  Also, find the bike mount and dismount line.  You can't ride your bike in the transition area.

Deb